Del. horseshoe crab harvest ban appealed

Two-year halt approved in Nov.

1:05 AM,
Dec. 20, 2006

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A Milford-area waterman and a Virginia company challenged Delaware's two-year ban on horseshoe crab harvests Tuesday, arguing that state regulators took the step "without a reasonable scientific, economic or social basis."

Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control Secretary John A. Hughes said he approved the ban last month to protect horseshoe crabs and the red knot, a migratory shorebird seen in dwindling numbers along the Delaware Bay. The red knot relies almost exclusively on horseshoe crab eggs for food during spring migrations from southern South America to ...